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Victorinox Swiss Army new Alliance mechanical

Watches

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5 July 2014

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Victorinox Swiss Army launched this year a new timeless classic, the new Victorinox Swiss Army Alliance mechanical. Watchmaking is about details and quality. With the new Alliance, it is all about details and the greatness of them.

Victorinox Swiss Army is the Watch division of Victorinox, the makers of the legendary Swiss Army Knife. This year they celebrate their 130th anniversary and the 25th anniversary for the watch division.

The new Alliance has for the first time a mechanical version that highlights all the sublime of this timeless range. Every detail is amazingly elegant and clever. Ealier during the year, we already reviewed the new beautiful Infantry GMT.

An authentic look, between modernism and classicism

The new Alliance has a strong signature look. The white or the black dial will offer you all the beauty of a classic elegant watch with subtle modern elements. Let’s have a close look into the dial.

Here above you can see the first of all the very classy silver Cross&Shield logo at 12 o’clock. Generally Victorinox always displays its mythical logo in red and white. For this edition, silver brings an unique look, very sharp. The numbers are represented by facetted and sharpened baguettes. Only 3, 6 and 9 o’clock have numeric figures. It contributes to the minimalistic design. Embossed in the dial there is the military hour from 14 to 22 hours. Another important detail is the seconds hand. As you can see in the picture it has the legitimate red color inspired by the Swiss Army Knife. The counter-weight of the seconds hand has a distinctive shape of the Swiss Army knife scales. The word “Automatic” is also highlighted in red so it shows the mechanical version.

In the lower part of the dial, there is the date displayed just on top of 6 o’clock, which is also an originality. Normally, the date is displayed at 3 o’clock and even replacing the 3. Here, not only the date is at 6 o’clock but above the number. The Swiss Made mention is as always on both sided of the 6. Victorinox has its own Watch factory in Porrentruy.

The new Alliance mechanical movement

The new version of the Alliance range is not only new from a outside look perspective. It has also a new mechanical movement. Here are some details about it.

The watch movement is an ETA 2824 mechanical self-winding. It is the perfect movement for a watch of good quality sold at an accessible price. When calibrated correctly, which is the case here, it is a very good, reliable and precise movement. It’s robustness makes the ETA 2824 the perfect movement for a watch owned by an active man.

The watch itself is a 40mm stainless steel case (316L) with a scratch resistant, triple-coated anti reflective sapphire crystal.
The hands and hour marks are luminescent and the watch is water-resistant at 100m (10ATM, 330ft). The back-case is transparent so you can see the movement. The version with leather strap has biological tanned leather material.

When functionality rules design, the result is a very contemporary piece of watchmaking. Victorinox has for the past 25 years focused in the essential aspect of its watches, so you have now an amazing catalog of beautiful collections.

LA

info sourced at Victorinox.com, professionalwatches.com, forumamontres.com, wikipedia and Eta.com. All information is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.

Mercedes presents the new AMG GT

Luxury

LuxuryActivist

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30 June 2014

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Reading Time: 5 minutes

When the silver star brand reveals a new project, all the press and the brand aficionados take the time to learn more about it. When it is an AMG project, then the entire world stops and wait the thunder sound of the engine of the new car revealed. And this is now the case with the new Mercedes AMG GT. Reveal: Autumn 2014.

AMG, 3 letters but much more than simply tuning

When you think that AMG was founded in 1967 by 2 visionary Mercedes engineers Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher in Burgstall an der Murr . By that time the company was called AMG Motorenbau und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH. AMG stands for Aufrecht, Melcher (the names of the founders) and Grossaspach (the birth city of Aufrecht). It is a personal story about passion, precision and performance.
The aim of the company was and still is to provide high-profiled versions of Mercedes automobiles. It makes AMG as one of the most complete car preparators in the world. They have more than 15 models over 500hp and several models over 600hp. This makes the company very different from BMW-M for example that only chooses already aligned models on Series 3, 5 and Roadsters. The approach of AMG is basically to boost performances of all Mercedes catalog. Amazing work as every car is different and had originally a different purpose. AMG got to the next level by being fully acquired in 1999 by Daimler-Benz. The. Collaboration between the 2 brands became a state of the art in terms of ingenuity symbiosis.

AMG Black series, monsters unleashed

AMG evolved through time and some of their models became legends in the sport cars industry. One project that deserves to be quoted, as it talks directly to any automobile aficionado, it is the Black series.
The Black series are very limited editions of the AMG production. Some models had only 5 units produced. Generally it is more around 100 to 150.

The aim of the Black series is to unleash the full creative power of AMG by allowing even further performance improvements. For example the SLS AMG Black series is 70kg lighter than the normal SLS AMG which makes the car only 2.45kg per horse power (631hp in total).

Mercedes AMG GT, ready for the real driving experience?

Mercedes AMG is pulsing a full buzz campaign for the launch of the new AMG GT. Social media, press, web, the new AMG GT is everywhere and at the same time you cannot see much of it. That’s the excitement of the buzz. There is a full section on the brand website dedicated to the new car.
http://www.mercedes-amg.com/webspecial/amggt
The website is full mobile compatible and brings the AMG experience right into your pocket.

What can we say about the car? By limiting the beast power to 510hp we assume that there is a strategy behind. The AMG SLS launched a while ago has a V8 delievering 571hp. We would have expected a new GT reaching 600hp.

What is the goal of Mercedes? Either they were afraid of the cannibalization with the SLS or they have planned a boosted version, like a Black series version that would then achieve the expectations. We still have to see how light the car will be.
This is what Mercedes says about the new 4.0 V8 of the AMG GT: “A compact design, low weight-to-power ratio, great fuel efficiency, and signature, distinctive AMG sound all work in harmony to create the high-performance AMG 4.0 Liter V8 Biturbo Engine (M178). This engine is truly bigger than the sum of its parts – and a quantum leap into the future of technology”.
As we can read, the entire engine was rethink in order to bring you the best driving experience you would dream for at any speed. And the sound of the engine? Mythical. The new V8 is only 209 kg which definitely allows a better efficiency in terms of power/weight.

The amazing thing with an AMG engine is that every single piece of it is calibrated by hand. No frictions, no lost spaces, no over-weight. It is purely a masterpiece. More than a year of work to reach the expectancies of the engineer team. When AMG presents a new engine, it is always a breakthrough.
Here are more pictures about the car during the testing on road.

The new Mercedes AMG GT will be revealed in Paris during the International motorshow.

What does Mercedes expect from this new creation? The US market is almost 50% of the all AMG business. New emerging markets like China, India, Brazil are great growth drivers. There is of course amazing opportunities in the Middle East for exceptional cars. The new AMG GT should please the Brand fans all over the world. It is also an interesting move to face competition. Since Audi and BMW took over the market, only Porsche remains a part. Mercedes can seduce new customers with this new proposition and play the outsiders in a market where entry doors are tiny. More to come about the new super car by Mercedes AMG.

LA

Info sourced at Mercedes AMG official communication, website, autopassion, AutoMoto magazine, Autoevolution.com and wikipedia. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.

Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2014, get ready.

Luxury

LuxuryActivist

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28 June 2014

0

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Luxury Lifestyle Awards is an international Award granted to the companies in luxury segment for their initiatives and outstanding achievements. Companies and brands of luxury class participate in the contest in different categories.

The competition for this prestigious award will bring together leading companies and brands of different segments of the luxury industry from several European countries — starting from UK, France, Spain and etc. Participants will be presented in 15 categories of luxury segment, in nominations such as urban and rural property, a boutique hotel, a restaurant, private banking, adventure’s company of individual travel, a nightclub, a wellness center, jewelry brand and other. Best of the best in each category will be awarded the award – «Golden Crown “.

The awards ceremony is scheduled at 29^th of August 2014 in London, United Kingdom. In order to guarantee the fairness of the competition, world wide consultants company PriceWaterhouseCooper will be controlling the correctness of the voting procedure and the final vote count. The Jury gathers a dream team of luxury professional experts that allows to keep a high level of quality and relevancy. The competition started geographically by rewarding companies located in CIS countries and now they are extending the coverage to Western Europe as well. Their aim is to install the Luxury Lifestyle Awards as the ultimate reference in terms of luxury recognition.

London Luxury District West End is famous for its remarkable collection of streets and alleyways with a unique charm. For many centuries, the true connoisseurs of fine things were coming here for the discerning buyers and gourmet. That is why the area remains the ultimate destination up to these days. Worthy example of true British traditions is The Langham Hotel, where the awarding ceremony Luxury Lifestyle Awards will be held on August 29th, 2014.

Here are some images from last year. We can see there is always a lot of people attending to one of the most important luxury events of the year. And the great thing with luxury is that there is always something amazing that can happen.

One important detail is the award trophy itself. As a high-end luxury event, the award was created by prestigious US jeweler Faraone Mennella. The Golden Crown is a true work of art. Covered with 24 kt gold, it is made by high-qualified jewelers manually, and there is a special design for each winner. Faraone Mennella, a famous jewelry brand, has been a partner to Luxury Lifestyle Awards since 2011. It is Faraone Mennella that was honored to make the Award prize.

Despite the prize and the recognition from its pairs, the winners in each of their categories will be able to display the official emblem of the competition, as a visual mark of the great work they have accomplished.

Here are the different categories rewarded by the Luxury Lifestyle award competition. Each nominee chooses the category they wish to compete based on the nature of the company and of course the project, product or service provided.

Urban Real Estate
Residential Real Estate
Restaurant
National Brand
Discovery of the year in the luxury sphere
Hotel
Event of the year in the luxury sphere
Interior Salon
Magazine
Spa and Welness center
Individual Travel agency
Private Banking
National Fashion Designer
Jewelry Brand
Nightclub
Boutique Hotel
Golf Resort
Luxury Yachting
Casino

As you can see, the award is quite broad and covers all aspects of the luxury industry.

When the Luxury industry gathers in order to celebrate the greatness of their work, only exceptional things can happen.
LA

Info sourced at the Luxury Lifestyle Award communication release. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.

Henri Matisse, the Cut-Outs extraordinary auction in London.

Art

LuxuryActivist

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27 June 2014

0

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Early this year, visitors of Tate Modern in London were able to discover another facet of Matisse’s work. The master of colour, spent his last 14 years explorint paper-cutting. Or as he would explain himself, the art of painting with scissors. Now that the exhibition is over, there will be an exclusive auction taking place in London, at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions.

Henri Matisse and the art of painting with scissors

By the end of his life, Henri Matisse was diagnostic with Cancer. He became very weak and started using a wheel chair. After an operation he got some strength back and his aim of creation was stronger than the disease. With the help of Lydia Delectorskaya and assistants he set about creating cut paper collages, often on a enormous scale, called gouaches découpés. By maneuvering scissors through prepared sheets of paper, he inaugurated a new phase of his career. It was the last 14 years of his life. He let a consequent work with different style of collages. Henri Matisse was pretty much new to paper cutting and he let his imagination learn from experience and some of his work are considered as true symbols of modernity.

Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions, reveals the beauty of Matisse’s work

With this exceptional auction, Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions will propose to buyers and investors to acquire several artwork of Matisse in this series of Cut-Outs.

L’avaleur de sabres, Plate XIII

Le Loup, Plate VI

Le Lagon, Plate XVII

Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions are a UK ‘top 5’ auctioneer of fine art and collectibles. As part of The Stanley Gibbons Group plc we are the only UK stock-exchange listed firm of auctioneers and occupy the same stable as coin specialists Baldwin’s, and Fraser’s Autographs. Established in 1759, we have the broadest and most regular calendar of specialist catalogued sales in the industry, numbering over 150 per annum, and provide vendors and buyers alike access to market-leading specialist advice in any number of collecting fields. We operate from salerooms in Donnington Priory (near Newbury), London’s Mayfair, Bristol and Godalming. Established in 1856, The Stanley Gibbons Group plc is the world’s leading rare stamp and prestige collectibles merchant with offices in the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Channel Islands.

Under the theme of modern prints, the auction will also propose other great artists like Joan Miró. If you wish you can find the full catalog of the auction here:
http://www.dreweatts.com/media/bloomsbury/auctions/36152.pdf

The auction will take place in London on July 3rd 2014 at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions.

When the master of color reveals an almost hidden part of his work, the excitement will be at its maximum inside the auction room.

LA

Info sourced at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions official communication, wikipedia, Tate Modern and henri-matisse.net. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.

Hublot Palace, the place to be in Rio de Janeiro

Watches

Sebastien Eich

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25 June 2014

1

Reading Time: 5 minutes

While the heart of Football aficionados is beating faster than never, Hublot is celebrating the Brazil world football cup as we would expect: in a very unique way. For that, they revealed the Hublot Palace hotel ob Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Hublot loves football

As you know, Hublot is the official timekeeper of FIFA event and as official timepiece ambassador, well Hublot loves football! This is actually the name of the current campaign that the Swiss watch-maker is rolling-out during the competition.

Hublot initial contract with FIFA covered South Africa (2010) and Brazil this year. In order to maintain its commitment to the round ball, Hublot extended the contract towards Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. It will be a 12 years engagement, which is more than honorable.
In order to materialize Hublot passion for football, the Swiss brand launched a special watch in partnership with the king of players: Pélé himself.

Welcome to the Hublot Palace in Rio de Janeiro

If you know Hublot, you already know that they never do things half-way. Either they completely embrace the project or they do not work on it. For the worldcup in Brazil, Hublot literally moved its team to Rio. They chose one of the best addresses in Rio city-center, Copacabana. The main idea was to privatize a place in which fans, customers and Hublot employees could meet and live the full experience. To do so, they privatized an entire Hotel facing the famous Copacabana beach. The Orla Hotel became then the Hublot Palace.

The Orla Hotel is a 130 rooms establishment with an amazing roof top. There is a pool and a breath-taking sight-view. In one side you can see the sea and the beach, in the other side a great vision of Rio, the city of wonders.
Hublot did not only booked all the rooms, they started by changing the name of the building by adding a “Hublot Palace” in the front. Then, they redecorated the main halls, meeting rooms and corridors with Hublot color and design codes.
The roof top got a special treatment as they installed long and friendly tables and 2 large screens. These allow guests to share a nice moment while watching their preferred game on TV.

And the show does not ends on the final whistle of the referee. The after-match party beats the vibes all night long and great DJs rhythm the evening with cool tracks. Prestigious guests, rock stars and football players join the Hublot Palace to enjoy a cool moment.

Loyal to its engagements, Hublot invited Les Vins Vaudois organization to join them during this event in Rio. In deed last month, Hublot announced a Swiss partnership between the watch-brand based in Nyon and Les Vins Vaudois (Vaud Wine association). This allows both brands to represent Switzerland abroad and shine like 2 super stars of the Leman lake region. Of course, all the wine served at the Hublot Palace is Swiss wine from Vaud. It is a very clever partnership.

Hublot “team” of watches for the worldcup. Goal!

The story of Hublot in Brazil is not only about the Hublot Palace. It is also a selection of 3 amazing Timepieces, all featuring the worldcup bia design and functionality.

Hublot Big Bang Unico Bi-retrograde Chrono King Gold Carbon

This amazing timepiece is basically the official watch of FIFA’s worldcup. It is based on a Hublot Big Bang with an exclusive bi-retrograde chrono. This is a very unique complication completely aligned with a football match.
Only some happy few will be able to have one as only 100 pieces were produced.
The self-winding Hub1260 movement presents itself with a central column wheel chronograph and a bi-retrograde function.

Hublot Big Bang Unico Bi-retrograde Chrono Ceramic Carbon

This version of the Big Bang Unico has a complete set made in black ceramic. It allies technicality, innovation and reliability. Only 200 pieces were produced worldwide, so it is a very limited edition.
The black carbon ceramic case dresses with an amazing carbon fiber layered on an anodized black aluminum for a very black tie look. The movement is the same as the Gold version here above, the Hub1260 self-winding movement.

Hublot Classic Fusion King Gold

Last but not least in the official WorldCup selection, there is the Hublot Classic Fusion in King Gold. This monochrome look reminds the WorldCup trophy and makes it very elegant thanks to the precious details of a polish satin finish 18k King Pink Gold. 6 H shaped titanium screws sign the bezel of this watch.
Another important detail of design is the King Gold applique of the WorldCup logo at 3 o’clock. The small second hands is positioned at 7 o’clock which definitely gives an unique look to this timepiece. Inside this amazing creation you will find the Hublot Hub1301.4 manual winding movement with 2.9mm and a power reserve of 90 hours. The black Alligator strap finishes the look of it with a lot of elegance and masculinity.

Hublot Loves Football website, best practice

To cover the event and to give to Hublot and Football fans a place of reference, the Swiss watch-maker created a dedicated website in which you can find everything you need to know. The address is:
http://www.hublot.com/hublotlovesfootball

Hublot asked the Geneva agency Details.ch to build the website. Full multi-devices compatible, at Luxuryactivist we were pretty impressed by the user experience on mobile. Details.ch are not at their first project. They are probably one of the best agencies in Suisse Romande allying watch-making, digital expertise and mobile first thinking. As we know, Hublot only work with the best.
You can also follow Hublot adventures via Twitter @Hublot so you will not miss a single event or action at the Hublot Palace.

Hublot loves Football, we love football, so we love Hublot.

LA

Info sourced at Hublot official website and communication release, Details.ch website, wikipedia, Tripadvisor. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.

Hermès Arceau Millefiori, beyond crystal art glass.

Watches

Sebastien Eich

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22 June 2014

0

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Hermès is the poet of watch-making. Every year, the French luxury house launches amazing timepieces displaying the alliance of innovation, know-how and beautiful arts. During Baselworld 2014, Hermès revealed Dressage l’Heure Masquée, a special timepiece that reviewed the relationship between a watch and its owner. You can read our full review here.

Hermès released the information about a new creation, that literally blew our mind in terms of beauty, know-how and high-end watch-making. It is called Hermès Arceau Millefiori. This year, Hermès has 3 main themes: Femininity, complications and Art craftsmanship. These themes will underline the singularity and the innovation of the brand. 14 different Artwork craftmanship in-house. It is a great source of inspiration and a chance to have such a richness inside the company.

The encounter of watch-making and glass-making

With the launch of this new Arceau Millefiori, Hermes encapsulates an unusual encounter between 2 amazing fine arts: watch-making and glass-making. The best of watch-making made by Hermès in-house, meets the centuries of know-how in glass-making by the Cristalleries Royales de Saint-Louis. It is the oldest glass-maker in France and since 1993 belongs to the Hermès group. For Hermès it was a way to set all this amazing know-how into the future. And now synergies are creating amazing things like this glass dial used in the Arceau Millefiori watch.

The Millefiori technique is a precision technique in glass-making that requires a lot of strictness, patience and a huge dose of artistic feeling. Crafted by applying successive layers of crystal to enamel to reveal the colour, these canes resemble barley sugar candy canes. They are in some cases assembled to form ever-richer patterns. Whatever their colour or design, the process itself remains identical. It is a very crafted technique, very “artisanale”. Normally, these glass baguettes are used to manufacture Glass paper-weight at St Louis Cristalleries. Naturally they are bigger than a watch, so here it is the first time that these crystal-glass baguettes are produced in such a small scale. Each dial will be cut at 6mm. The Craftmen from Hermès work in a 1/10 scale which requires a lot of patience and know-how. Every piece is unique.

The canes thus created are cut into small ten-millimetre portions that are then vertically placed in a cast- iron bowl, where they form a bed of flowers. While one master glassmaker prepares a crystal ‘calotte’ or ‘skullcap’, the part that fixes it to the rod, a colleague brings him the bowl containing the millefiori. With the tip of his punty, the first artisan adds the molten clear crystal, fusing the two blocks so as to encapsulate or “package” the motif in glass.

It is only during the final cutting stage that the crystal reveals the full wealth of its pattern and the unique beauty of the flowerbed with its vividly shimmering colours that will become the dial or cover of one of the Arceau models. These dials will then be applied in the watch-making process in order to be installed within the watch case. Check here a video made by the watches.tv about the collaboration between the 2 French luxury houses.

Arceau-Millefiori-blue — Arceau Millefiori 41mm

Arceau-Millefiori-pink-packshot — Arceau Millefiori 34mm

The amazing visual effect of this technique is that you can see a marked deepness into the pattern like if the different elements were floating in the air. It is almost like a glass lace.

The 34mm holds a Mechanical self-winding movement, crafted in Switzerland, Hermès Manufacture Movement H1912. Circular-grained and snailed mainplate. Satin-brushed bridges and oscillating weight, adorned with the special Hermès decoration (H symbols). In terms of materials, 750 white gold (≈ 37.3 g) Case set with 60 diamonds (0.76 ct). Crown set with 1 diamond (0.07 ct) Top Wesselton V.V.S « Extra white » to « Plus extra white».

The 41mm holds a Mechanical self-winding movement, crafted in Switzerland Hermès Manufacture Movement H1837. Circular-grained and snailed mainplate, satin-brushed bridges and oscillating weight adorned with the special Hermès decoration (H symbols) as well. The Case material is 750 white gold (≈ 58 g) Anti-glare sapphire crystal and case-back.

There are 2 variations in Pocket-watch version, that will definitely seduce passionates for beautiful objects.

The Millefiori technique was used in the cover of the pocket watches, so it makes an unique object. Very elegant, especially with the contrast between the cover and the leather strap. Do not hesitate to visit the brand official website to discover more about the amazing world of Hermès.
http://www.hermes.com.

At this level of mastery, these objects are more than timepieces. They are the ambassadors of a heritage and a culture that will never finish to surprise us. Congratulations to Hermès for such outstanding craftsmanship work.

LA

Info sourced at Hermes official communication release. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.

Sisley Black Rose Precious Face oil – new launch

Beauty

LuxuryActivist

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22 June 2014

0

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Sisley held a presentation in Geneva, at the Four seasons hotel in order to present the incoming great launches for this year. Here is the reveal of the new Sisley Black Rose Precious Face Oil. Launch date: Beginning of September 2014.

In 2011, Sisley revealed a new exciting product called the Black Rose Cream Mask. It was the beginning of this amazing cosmetic feature in the Sisley palette. The Black Rose Cream mask became number one beauty mask in its category in the French market and reveal itself as a “must-have” of the brand.
This year, in order to continue the story, Sisley launches Black Rose Precious Face Oil. It is an amazing product that will naturally find its place in your daily beauty ritual. For Sisley it is the first time they propose an oil based product as a facial skincare product. The challenge was high as probably we all got a bad experience once with such kind of products. It requires a lot of know-how and skin knowledge to get it right, especially in a anti-aging product in which the nature of the skin, its state of conservation and the daily beauty ritual will influence a lot the usage of such product. And here, mission accomplished.

More than a face precious oil, this product is a true beauty elixir. Only a few drops are sufficient in order to accomplish an amazing experience. This gentle and refined ointment are enough to restore the skin’s beauty and youthfulness. The Black Rose Precious Face oil will have 3 different actions to your skin thanks to a perfect blend of active ingredients and an amazing texture that will amplify the effect.
The first action will be to prepare the skin to receive all the active ingredients in the heart of its structure. When your skin is dry and your cell structure is a mess, basically your skin is not ready to receive a beauty treatment. That’s why The Black Rose Precious Face Oil contributes to the integrity of cell membranes to ensure their flexibility and their resistance. To improve the fluidity in these cell membranes and to prepare cells for optimal absorption of active ingredients, the formula integrates one of the richest oils in omega 3 and 6: Camelina oil, a true Sisley innovation. Enriched in unsaturated fatty acids, the skin is enabled to fully benefit from daily skincare. Its dermal barrier and its lipid balance are reinforced.

The second action of the formula is about nourishing the skin and combatting skin aging. To accomplish this, Sisley added Prune oil to the formula, an active ingredient enriched naturally with Omega 6. In combination with the Camelina oil, your skin will be nourished and rebalanced. In order to maximize the skin nourishing, Sisley research created an amazing formula containing Padina Pavonica extracts, natural Tocopherols, Avocado extract and Phytosqualane. These active ingredients will team up in order to prevent the skin of undesired aging effects and give vibrancy and comfort. You will be surprised by the results.

Last but not least, The Black Rose Precious Face Oil will literally blow your senses by the amazing olfactory dimension of the Rose. A powerful extract of Black Rose will instantly draw us into an infusion of sensuality and softness. For those who does not know what is a Black Rose, here are some explanations. A Black Rose is actually what we call a Black Baccara Rose. It is a variety of Baccara Rose and was created by Meilland International, a French Rose specialist. It has all the characteristics of a Baccara Rose and its petals are very dark black-red. Scientific research proved that Black Rose extract has active properties. The flavonoids and the tannis contained in this plant are relaxing, soothing and firm the skin. Sisley research team took the best of it and added as a masterpiece in the formula.

The olfactory dimension is pleased by the addiction of Bulgarian Rose Geranium and Magnolia essential oils. Of course despite the amazing and exquisite scent, the primary focus by adding these essential oils is tonifying and soothing the skin.

The amazing texture of this precious oil allow you to use it in the morning as well as in the evening. Just a few drops are necessary in order to apply one treatment. The 25ml flacon will cover in average 3 month of treatment. This formula was created for 3 sorts of skin types. The first one is genetically dry skin from age 30. If you have a fragile dry skin, this treatment will definitely help you better structure your skin and prevent it to be affected by the aging process. Black Rose Precious Face Oil is also adapted for Normal skin that have become dry by environmental conditions like wind, sun or simply dry air-conditioning. Last skin type is the mature skin that is lacking of lipids. As the product was formulated in a oil base, you should avoid the area surrounding your eyes, as the skin and the capillarity of your blood vessels are different from the rest of your face skin.
This new generation of oil based formula penetrates quite fast leaving a soft touch clean feeling on the skin. It is a perfect result if you then wish to wear your day cream or/and make up.
If you wish to learn more about Sisley, do not hesitate to visit the brand official website here:
http://www.sisley-cosmetics.com

Black Rose Precious Face oil will be available in all Sisley official point of sales from September 2014. The product recommended retail price is CHF 210 for 25ML.

LA

Info sourced at Sisley official presentation in Geneva, wikipedia and ellabache.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.

Aesop Marrakech Intense, the icon is back.

Beauty

LuxuryActivist

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21 June 2014

1

Reading Time: 8 minutes

Nothing more personal than the relationship between you and your fragrance. Certain brands understood perfectly how personal and important. It is the case of Aesop.This week, Luxuryactivist met the Aesop team for the launch of their new fragrance: Marrakech Intense.

Aesop, from Australia to Geneva

Aesop is an amazing brand. It all started in 1987 in Melbourne – Australia. It was founded by Dennis Paphitis. His aim was to have a precise and expert range of superlative products in which he would gather the best of what nature and science can offer. In addition to skincare, Aesop also produces hair care, soapsand fragrance.

The brand can be found in its own ‘signature spaces’ (concept stores) and department stores. Aesop has a very specific way to develop the brand. In many ways, less is more. They prefer to have a short yet interesting distribution network that they master completely rather than going broader and then completely lose the brand message and quality. Aesop picks up the locations of its stores with the aim of proposing the brand universe in the best way possible. Each store tells a story, a different story but all of them are proudly ambassadors of the Australian brand. The Geneva store is located at the following address:

Aesop Geneva
Rue de la Fontaine, 15
CH-1204 Geneva
Tel: +41 (0)22 311 87 00

It is located in the city center, 5 mn by walk from the Leman Lake and the Rue du Rhone. The ambience of the store is a complete invitation to discover an unique universe. The store was opened in May 2012 and since then gain a loyal clientele in this animated area populated by locals and tourists as well. The store concept was given to Rodney Eggleston, from March Studio Melbourne. Rodney decided to work with copper for the interior design of the store. It is a very special decoration, minimal yet with a soul. The use of this specific material is inspired by the usage of copper in history. For money making and in the fantasy of the Alpine underground bunker. Nevertheless, copper was used in a modest way, enhanced by a set of textures of cork, sisal and wood. There were 2 elements which stroke my attention. The first one is a large copper sink, used for product demonstration and testing. According to Aesop, the sink design was inspired by the edgy shape of a 1970’s Citroen CX and it is installed in the center of the store. The second element is a magnificent DS-480 leather armchair signed by Alfredo Häberli. We can feel that people are happy to work in the store as there is a very warm-hearted and friendly atmosphere.

Aesop Marrakech Intense, the revival of an icon.

With its mastery on essential oils and ingredients, Aesop launched in 2005 a fragrance called Marrakech. It was an amazing scent inspired by the special atmosphere of the Moroccan city. The fragrance was made uniquely by essential oils which made it more as a scent rather than a fragrance itself. The “parti-pris” was total as Aesop never compromise on what they decide to do. And since then, it found its loyal customers. As a scent, the fragrance structure itself and the roll out of the olfactory story was by definition slightly unbalanced. It was more a story of a specific smell rather than an established perfume. That’s why this iconic product needed to be installed in a longer timeline in order to keep its originality and richness more long-lasting. That is the story of Marrakech Intense, new fragrance.

Aesop needed to find the right Perfumer to help and to dare to explore such challenge. How to capitalize on the amazing story of Marrakech yet re-balance the story in order to give a bright future to the fragrance. That is why Aesop worked with talented Master-Perfumer Barnabé Fillion.

Barnabé Fillion is an artist above all. When you meet him and you are lucky enough to ear him talking about his work, you can feel he has a deep respect for raw materials and the work as a Perfumer. He is passionate about tradition and how he can reinvent it to shape the future. That is why between Aesop and Barnabé Fillion was a perfect match. When you ask Barnabé about his work around Marrakech, this is what he explains. The goal for him was to capitalize on the olfactory theme already created with the original Marrakech and to shape it as a contemporary fragrance.

The olfactory story of Marrakech Intense starts with a duet of Italian Bergamot and Cardamom. The Bergamot splashes a contemporary freshness light to the first minutes of the fragrance. This light is extended with an accord of Neroli and Jasmin flower. For the Cardamom, Barnabé Fillion used a very unique and exclusive quality from Fragrance house MANE. It is called Cardamom Jungle Essence. Mane was also the chosen fragrance house to produce the fragrance under the control and the fragrance design of Barnabé Fillion. Mane is a Fragrance house that always ally tradition, know-how and cutting edge technology. They have a large and unique ingredients palette which is a true delight for such talented perfumer. This special cold-extraction allows to capture the clean purity of any scented-material in order to use it in a fragrance. Here is a video from Mane talking and explaining the Jungle essence extraction technology (here with a Fig example).

The Jungle essence technique is a cold-extraction. The advantage is that all olfactory properties and facets remain intact as we do not need to boil or to heat the ingredient. As we know the higher the temperature the more we destroy the olfactory molecules. That’s why certain ingredients are not good for traditional extractions. With the Jungle essence technique, a liquid gaz is injected in the heart of the fresh raw material. This happens under a pressurized tube which pushes the gaz throughout the different ingredient molecular structure. The liquid gaz blends with the olfactory molecules. When we get the gaz saturated with the scented molecules out of the pressurized chamber, the gaz evaporates naturally and leave the extracted scent in the final container. It can be used as it is or diluted.

The Cardamom note brings a real vibrancy that crossed the fragrance from top to bottom. It is a very elegant and natural note, that can be very addictive. Touches of Clove generates a spicy olfactory lace that plays with the Cardamom signature. The fragrance story continues with a contemporary Rose before giving the voice of a paradox of woods. The softness and the texture of Sandalwood strikes the sharpness and energy of a Cedarwood note. It is deep yet luminous, comfortable with an edge.

Marrakech Intense is a personal almost confidential story between a person and its fragrance. From all our senses, olfaction is probably the most intense and emotional driven one. Marrakech will strike you right away with its personality and it will take you away from your daily life to adventures that you cannot imagine until you experience them. If you try this fragrance you will see an addictive facet of it. You will always want to smell it, like if you were experiencing an amazing adventure, an interior one.

It is such a personal story that you might not want to share it with anyone. “What is your fragrance? I will not tell you. It is mine!” It is a complete call for adventure and escapism. It will make you dream of another existence, just during the glimpse of a breath. The flacon and the outer-packaging respect the brand philosophy and integrate naturally this new product into the existing range.
Marrakech Intense will be launched in a 50ml / 1.7 floz flacon, completely in the Aesop spirit of essentiality and practicality. A special 10ml flacon will also be available.

Barnabé Fillion succeeded to highlight the amazing signature of the original Marrakech in a more institutional story that will please both Marrakech lovers and fragrance aficionados. Congratulations to the artist and to Aesop to have dared to redefine the deserved rank of icon to their fragrance. That is Marrakech Intense.

The new Fragrance will be launched in September 2014 in all Aesop official point of sales. In the meantime you can discover more about this amazing Australian brand by visiting its official website:
http://www.aesop.com

When talent, passion and know-how meet, the result can only be fascinating. Yes, fascinating is the word.

LA

Info sourced at the official Aesop presentation at Geneva store, wikipedia, Barnabé Fillion website, Mane website. Barnabe Fillion image sourced at CartonMagazine. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.

Lana Del Rey Ultraviolence, a sad Marilyn…

Music

José Amorim

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19 June 2014

0

Reading Time: 3 minutes

We all remember the youtube big hit “Video Games” by Lana Del Rey in 2011. It was the moment in which the world discovered American singer Lana Del Rey. Music critics had some concerns saying she was a “Justin Bieber for adults”. Well, they were wrong.

Born to Die, heavenly perfect

With the launch of her first album “Born to die”, well, we realized those music critics were just… Jealous. The album was the perfect match between an amazing recording voice, talented proved producers, outstanding musicians and great lyrics. You can read our review here.
Born to Die sold by June 2014 more than 3.4 million copies in the world. It was definitely a big hit.

Lana Del Rey was satellized from her hometown anonymous status to the rank of worldwide rockstar in weeks.
She started then hundreds of concerts around the world and reached the recognition of her pairs at many levels. She is a hard working girl. She knew she was an amazing recording voice yet there were a lot of work for the live scene. Only one solution: work, work, work… Which she did. 2.5 years after the launch of the first album, Lana Del Rey comes back with a new album called Ultraviolence. And this time everybody agrees to say it is a great album.

Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey, the sad Marilyn we love…

With the launch of Ultraviolence, Lana Del Rey becomes the true representative of this West coast sound. Every melody and chorus are simply beautiful. There is a matter of high aesthetics in every song that can only be pure gold for our ears.
Lana Del Rey voice is as hypnotic as well placed. We feel she knows much more how to use her voice. There is a soft-strong energy that brings clarity and uniqueness to each note.
It was via Twitter that Lana Del Rey announced her collaboration with the leading guitar and voice of Black Keys: Dan Auerbach.
11 songs that will portrait you a mythical picture of a “sad Marilyn” as glamorous as dark. We are completely in a phantasm between nostalgia, sexyness and a good dose of lay-back-west-coast.

Here is the song tracklist:
1. Cruel World
2. Ultraviolence
3. Shades of Cool
4. Brooklyn Baby
5. West Coast
6. Sad Girl
7. Pretty When You Cry
8. Money Power Glory
9. Fucked My Way Up To Top
10. Old Money
11. The Other Woman

One interesting fact in this album is that Lana Del Rey wanted to work with Lou Reed as she was a big fan of him. When she took the plane to meet him in New york, he died that same day and she never managed to work with him. In order to remind him and honor him, she wrote Brooklyn Baby.
This new album explores all this amazing imaginary universe of glamor and fate that categorized Marilyn Monroe at the end of her life and that settled the iconic myth for ever in our minds.
Lana Del Rey is an artist that shapes, plays and structure her universe in a very unique and precise way. Every detail is taken in consideration and she proposes an amazing portrait, probably one of her own or at least inside the character she built in the past 2 years. It is definitely an album for this summer and beyond.

LA

Info sourced at Lana Del Rey website, wikipedia and Billboard 200 USA. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available

Matthieu Gafsou at l’Elysee Lausanne. Only God can Judge me.

Art

LuxuryActivist

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17 June 2014

0

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Lausanne is definitely the place to be for modern and contemporary photography. This summer, l’Elysee Museum for photography is holding a very interesting photo exhibition called “Only God can Judge me” by Swiss photographer Matthieu Gafsou.

Matthieu Gafsou, Swiss, Artist, invested.

By choosing Matthieu Gafsou to perform an exhibition at l’Elysée, the Swiss institution in Lausanne took a position in terms of artistic engagement torwards some “bites”. In deed, Matthieu Gafsou always brought and edgy look in every theme he has chosen in the past to explore.
With “Alps” in 2008-2012, it was a closer look into the Swiss natural landscape and the changes brought by tourism.

Then, with “Sacré” in 2011-2012, it was a full thinking about the role of religion, its symbols and its presence in today’s society.

Matthieu Gafsou lives and works in Lausanne – Switzerland. He studied photography at the School of Applied Arts in Vevey. He brings this “inside” look of a region, a city or a country… As it is explained in the artist’s website, he participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions and published four books since 2006. He received in 2009 the famous “Prix de la fondation HSBC pour la photographie” and was selected in 2010 in the exhibition reGeneration2. Since 2012 he teaches at the University of Art and Design Lausanne (ECAL).

Only God can judge me, a spike into the drug world in Lausanne

With this new exhibition, Matthieu Gafsou brings his vision of the drug world in Lausanne. He spent more than a year immersed in the lives and the days of drug addicts. Several themes are treated in the exhibition, from night encounters to the idea of abandon or altered reality. Some portraits are displayed and reflects a sort of nobility and dignity of human kind. Other works are more abstract, allegorical and almost purely fantasy.

The aim of the exhibition is not to prevent the usage of drugs but more like an open window to a transparent world that live among our family, friends and children. It is there but only the objective of the photographer could reveal it to the world.

The exhibition’s curator is Anne Lacoste, official curator of the Elysée Museum. It will be exhibit from June 4th to August 24th, so you have all summer to discover this amazing artist.

MUSEE DE L’ELYSEE
18, avenue de l’Elysée
CH – 1014 Lausanne
T + 41 21 316 99 11
F + 41 21 316 99 12
www.elysee.ch

If you wish to explore more about Matthieu Gafsou and his previous works, you can also visit the artist official website here:
www.gafsou.ch

“Only God can judge me” is an artistic and sharp look into a true society problem. By applying the photographer “filter” Matthieu Gafsou allows you to understand certain reality of things without judgement. Well, only if you are God then.

LA

Info sourced at the Elysée official communication release and Matthieu Gafsou website. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.

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Only God can judge me, a spike into the drug world in Lausanne

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